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Just started a frame off restoration. The before pictures are in my profile picture album. The pictures are a good reflection of the condition before starting the restoration and current work by Corvette Design. Lot's of decoded NOM pictures. I'm still not certain of a 208 chalk mark.
I've had several vettes in my time, but I'm now at the time where I have a vette that I really enjoy. My car.....1968 L79 327/350 4-speed, convertible with 2 tops. No ps, pb or ac. Lemans Blue with a great 414 bright blue interior, both ragtop and vinyl hardtop have been restored to like new. I have a partial build sheet found when installing a new gas tank. Car has NO rust, just normal road gunk. The car has about $15k in new front end components, calipers, stain brake lines, Fuel lines, gas tank, master cylinder, bushings, rubber, etc. . Doing my due diligence I found a candidate I think worthy of spending my hard earned money to restore. My research has found a very original car with some period correct mods.....Holley carb, square bore 69 intake, 69 style side-exhaust, 69 style side vent inserts, and hurst shifter. I have found the correct intake (date code matched) It is being port matched to the heads. I cannot, at this time, find the correct Qjet 7028219. Looks as though a previous owner switched out the seats to a correct color but 70/71 style seat. I will install a set of correct 68 basket weave seats with the high latch. I intend to keep it as a side-exhaust car (rear exhaust ports have been eliminated), keep the hurst shifter, but forego the vent inserts.
The engine runs great and all pertinent numbers appear to be correct, The engine is undergoing a rebuild. Everything looks to be there and original by all numbers with a few exceptions (hoses, clamps, fan, fan clutch).
I visited a local corvette shop here in Monroe NC by my home.....Corvette Design. Jeff the owner and his wife Wanda took the time to walk me around the shop and discuss the current projects he is working on. Without putting mine on a lift he gave me a budget estimate. The restoration started on Veterans Day. I found that Jeff does offer a Military or Veteran discount (Jeff is a veteran as well). Everything is going as planned. Good work in the shop. Engine work was outsourced to a local machine shop for a rebuild and performance work. The machine shop has completed the tear down, and found NO issues.
Any recommendations by more experienced owners with restoration knowledge is greatly appreciated. Budget price, things to stay on top of, or beware of. Thanks, Mike. Much app
Hi Mike,
This sounds and looks like an interesting project! The photos in your album show a nice looking convertible.
If you've found a shop that understands what you'd like them to do and seems comfortable doing the work which will be required, (not their first 68-72 Corvette), that's a very important step.
There should be some sort of payment schedule so they're getting paid for what they've done, or for parts they've ordered, but you're not paying too much too far in advance.
Was it made perfectly clear to the folks doing the engine rebuild that the engine pad and it's stamped information will not be touched? That's a important one!
Are you close enough to the shop that you can visit on occasion? Maybe some more photos as things progress?
Regards,
Alan
Today. Determined the rear gear is 3.36 gear with July 1, 1968 date. Verified both heads are correct 3917291 with dates of July 1st and 5th 1968. Found out the water pump is likely a 1969. Number on water pump is 3839175 with B79 date code. Considering a 4.11 swap in the rear diff and now I'm looking for a correct water pump with June/July 1968 date.
Sounds like a great car. I have owned my 1968 convertible L79 since 1985. A note on the carburetor. The 7028219 DG is arguably one of the hardest Quadrajets to locate. I cannot figure out why, as GM produced around 9000 L79s in 1968, however, it is. Good thing is that these carburetors were dated on the base, which is interchangeable, so finding one with any date will do the job.
Expect some sticker shock if you do find one. With that in mind, try Custom Rebuilt Carburetors in Middlesex NJ. Ask for Phillip. He is one of the best in the business and a straight shooter.
Sounds like a great car. I have owned my 1968 convertible L79 since 1985. A note on the carburetor. The 7028219 DG is arguably one of the hardest Quadrajets to locate. I cannot figure out why, as GM produced around 9000 L79s in 1968, however, it is. Good thing is that these carburetors were dated on the base, which is interchangeable, so finding one with any date will do the job.
Expect some sticker shock if you do find one. With that in mind, try Custom Rebuilt Carburetors in Middlesex NJ. Ask for Phillip. He is one of the best in the business and a straight shooter.
Good luck and let's see some pictures!
I found one, but I didn't want to pay $2400 for it. Also, the Before pictures are in my profile photo album.
Once in a while cores pop up for $500 or so on the internet. Watch out for restamps. I looked on Ebay after your post. Someone paid $550 recently for a restored one. They probably thought they got a deal however it looks like a bad restamp to me.
Engine rebuild is finished. Pick it up tomorrow. Found a badly worn cam lobe. Other than that, no other issues. Looks like my 3.36 AM read gear matches my partial tank sticker. Frame and suspension component work is underway. Started paint removal.
Found an old repair on right rear quarter. Looks to be a good repair. Clean it up on the inside and it should be OK. Engine back from the machine shop (11:1). Had the intake port matched to heads. Also, found air tubes still inside the exhaust manifold ports (those will be removed). Should breath better. Lars is looking for a suitable substitute Qjet until the 7028219 can be found.
Hi Mike,
Still enjoyed the photos you're posting!
Be aware that the bonds between the underbody and fenders, fenders and aprons, and where bonding strips were used, typically had a lot of 'bond material' that oozed out and was left where it was. So they can generally be described as sloppy.
At least some of what I see in your photos seems quite typical of the body assembly.
The front corner that you show is made up of several pieces so you likely won't really know what's going on there until all the paint is off.
The front corners were ESPECIALLY vulnerable to dame because the bumper is so close to the body and even a small hit damages the fiberglass.
Again, good photos!
Regards,
Alan
Things have slowed a bit. Cleaning and prepping for paint. Flywheel out to machine. I was going to install a replacement fuel pump until I cleaned the one removed. A bit confusing so I may need some help from the forum. Pump has AC on both side and code 7L40956. My interpretation is; 40956 may be a 72 LT1 pump, but 7L looks like December 1967??? flywheel looks correct, but the date doesn't look right...to me F67 is June 6, 1967. My engine pad stamp is July 12, 1968. I look forward to seeing your comments...r/Mike
The Q-jet fuel filter is in the inlet housing and they would strip out. Mine did and I eventually had to get a new replacement GM Q-jet. Dummy me let it go before I knew about this forum. That is why they are so hard to find. There even was an after market oversized filter nut, to try to save the carb. It cut new over sized threads into the carb body. Had one of those too! Lou
The Q-jet fuel filter is in the inlet housing and they would strip out. Mine did and I eventually had to get a new replacement GM Q-jet. Dummy me let it go before I knew about this forum. That is why they are so hard to find. There even was an after market oversized filter nut, to try to save the carb. It cut new over sized threads into the carb body. Had one of those too! Lou
There are a number of shops that will heli coil the fuel inlet threads on these carbs. I had mine done by Cliff's Performance. I think it was around $45.00 and it came out great. Rich
Hi Mike,
Very nice photos!!!!
If only ALL cast information was as clear as that on your flywheel! I'm not sure if or how it might be appropriate for your car???
I agree that the pump in your photo appears to have the model number for the pump used on 72 LT-! engines.
At this point I don't think there's enough data to fully understand the date code… maybe a Julian date with a letter for the year?
Regards,
Alan
Fuel pump date 7L.....L = 12, could be 72, 7 could be January 7. My educated guess would be January 7, 1972.
I read on another site about a pump removed from an 1972 LT-1 corvette that had "229K". That translated to 229th day of 1971, or August 18, 1971.
01-26-2017, 03:15 PM
1968 L79 Restoration Project
